Trails in Pennsylvania

Much of Pennsylvania's best backcountry sits on the Allegheny Plateau, a dissected tableland of hemlock ravines and state forest that runs across the northern tier. Adventure riders can lose days on the Pennyslyvania Wilds Extreme Trails, a network of more than 1,100 km of forest roads and tracks, or start with the Allegheny ADV Route Section 1 near the Allegheny National Forest. Walkers get a quieter taste on the Quehanna Wild Area Short Hike near Benezette, the heart of the state's elk range.

The Oil Creek State Park Trail Ride follows the valley where the American oil industry began, while the Swatara Rail Trail Ride traces an old railbed in the ridge-and-valley country east of Harrisburg. Closer to Philadelphia, the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge Loop crosses tidal marsh beside the airport, and town walks in Phoenixville and Sewickley suit an easy afternoon.